Fairfax County aims to change game for commuters

MERRIFIELD, Va. – Fairfax County is moving quickly on transportation projects, and the head of the county board of supervisors says it should pay off for commuters.

“There’s a lot of very exciting, very innovative things that are under construction,” says Sharon Bulova, standing on a bridge across the soon-to-open 495/Beltway Express Lanes.

Along with the newly announced 95 Express Lanes project, which will link up with the Beltway Express lanes as well as the Silver Line, Bulova sees true transportation choices for commuters.

“I feel strongly in the importance of multi-modal transportation solutions,” she says.

When it comes to the 95 and Beltway Express Lanes, the plan is to have a network of fast-moving buses set up on the lanes that will, for the first time, offer predictable travel times for bus commuters.

Of course, vehicles that have three or more people will be able to use the lanes for free — and drivers with fewer than three people will be able pay a toll if they want the promise of a speedy trip in the lanes.

Bulova calls these projects a game-changer.

“This is bold, and I think we really are on the cutting edge of transportation,” she says

The Beltway Express Lanes are scheduled to open in December. The Silver Line is expected to open late next year, and the 95 Express Lanes should be open in late 2014.